Today’s News

ABC has ordered a pilot S.H.I.E.L.D., a live-action TV series from Joss Whedon based on the Marvel peacekeeping organization, Deadline reports.

S.H.I.E.L.D. stands for Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate and is headed by director Nick Fury, who was played by Samuel L. Jackson in Whedon's recent big-screen blockbuster, The Avengers. Disney chief Bob Iger first announced Whedon, 48, was working on a live-action Marvel series when he confirmed that Whedon would also write and direct The Avengers' upcoming sequel.

Whedon is set to co-write the S.H.I.E.L.D. pilot with his brother, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen. All three will executive-produce with Jeffrey Bell (The Protector) and Marvel TV's Jeph Loeb. Joss Whedon is also set to direct the pilot, his very busy schedule permitting. Production on the pilot will begin immediately.

If S.H.I.E.L.D. is ordered to series, it would be the first live-action Marvel TV show and Joss Whedon's fifth series. He created Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly and Dollhouse. He worked on the latter with his brother, Jed, and Jed's wife, Tancharoen, as well as the Emmy-winning web series Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, which The CW will air for the first time on TV this October.